As the new stringent EU rice import rule kicked in this month, India has asked Germany to use its good offices to resolve the issue at the earliest.

The European Union (EU) has reduced the maximum permissible residue level (MRL) of Tricyclazole (a fungicide) in basmati rice to 0.01 mg per kg from the present limit of 1.0 mg per kg effective January 1.

India, the world's largest producer of the aromatic grain, has made several representations to some European countries, to convince them on the need to relax the rules.

During last week's visit to Germany's capital Berlin, Minister of State for Agriculture Gajendra Singh Sekhawat raised the issue with his German counterpart.

Sekhawat also impressed upon the German minister to use his good offices for early resolution of Indian rice export being subjected to arbitrarily fixed maximum residue limit on Tricyclazole at 0.01 mg/kg by the EU, the minister was quoted as saying in an official statement.

He also highlighted that the EU was not accepting the digital phytosanitary certificates.